Submitted by: Ben Simasek
Submitting Department: Legislative
Agenda Section: Consent
Item Title:
title
Support for CB-14-2022 - Accessory Disposable Food Service Ware
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Suggested Action:
recommendation
I move that the Interim Mayor and City Council submit testimony to the County Council in support of CB-014-2022, "An Act Concerning Accessory Disposable Food Service Ware", in order to reduce waste and spread awareness among local businesses and residents.
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Summary Background:
The environmental impacts of single (or zero)-use plastic are observed both globally and locally. Plastic is derived from fossil fuels and the production process results in climate change-driving emissions. These emissions, along with the toxic chemicals plastic is comprised of can harm human health. Rather than decomposing, plastic breaks down into smaller bits, or "microplastics", which are extremely harmful to wildlife as well as ocean and freshwater ecology.
In large part due to the pandemic, many restaurants and food service businesses have seen increases in takeout and delivery service. Much of this takeout is consumed at home, where customers typically have their own utensils, condiments, and accessories. Often food service ware automatically included with orders ends up going in the trash without even being used once. It also contaminates recycling and compost, since most kinds are not recyclable and even "compostable" varieties require industrial composting facilities to break down. Unfortunately, food service ware too often ends up littered in local parks and streams.
Many restaurants have already implemented a simple checkbox or text space in online ordering forms to allow customers to affirmatively request utensils or condiments. Though the costs are minimal to the food service businesses, only providing them upon request and rather than automatically with every order actually saves food businesses money.
In 2021, the Hyattsville Environment Committee discussed...
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